Stuffing box for boats



July 31, 1951 A. e. LOOFBOURROW STUFFING BOX FOR BOATS Filed July 7,1949 INVENTOR- 2 /7Z2r7z G? Aaafaurraw if TGIF/145919,

Patented July 31, 1951 STUFEING BOX FOR. BOATS Alan G. Loofbourrow,Birmingham, Mich, as-

signor to Chrysler Corporation, Highland Park, Mich., a corporation ofDelaware Application July 7, 1949, Serial No. 103,411

7 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved stuinng box for marine applicationand more particularly to an improved mounting for a propeller shaftbearing.

In motor boats of conventional construction an engine is usually mountedWithin a hull and an inclined drive shaft extends from the enginethrough the bottom of the hull and into the Water and is provided with apropeller located on the outboard end thereof. Thrust from the propelleris transmitted through the propeller shaft to the hull. It is necessaryto provide a Watertight seal between the propeller shaft and the openingin the hull which is penetrated by the shaft and it has heretofore beencommon practice to provide a bearing which circumscribes the propellershaft within the hull and to connect this bearing to the hull by aWaterproof tube which circumscribes the shaft and is usually made ofrubber or a similar flexible material. The bearing is usually providedwith packing rings to prevent the admission of water between the shaftand the bearing and the Waterproof tube prevents the entrance of waterinto the hull between the bearing and the hull. This constructioncontains an inherent disadvantage in that occasionally a bearing seizeson the shaft due to faulty lubrication and in the conventionalconstruction when this occurs the bearing begins to rotate with theshaft and the rubber tube which is secured at one end to the bearing andat the other end to the hull is twisted and torn which in turn admitswater to the hull of the boat and causes the latter to sink.

In my improved construction I provide a universal joint means fornon-rotatably supporting the bearing on the hull. This permits thebearing to locate itself in any position demanded by the propeller shaftand yet prevents the bearing from rotating with the propeller shaftunder any conditions. The flexible rubber tube which connects thebearing to the hull thus cannot be subjected to torsion and the boatwill not sink under the conditions described in the preceding paragraph.In the event that faulty lubrication causes the bearing to seize on thepropeller shaft all that can happen is that the bearing will be scoredor burned out which are relatively minor damages as compared with thealternative of having the entire boat sink.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic View of a boat showing the relationship of thehull, engine and stuffing box;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view partly in section of the assembled stuflingbox; and

Fig. 3 is an exploded view in perspective of the components of theuniversal joint means used to support the propeller shaft bearing.

In Fig. 1 a motor boat is illustrated as comprising a hull ill, anengine [2 supported therein on engine supports l4 and a transmissioncase I6 from which a propeller shaft l8 carrying a propeller extends.The propeller shaft penetrates the hull through an o ening 22 and astuffing box 24 is provided to seal this opening against the entrance ofwater.

Referring to Fig.2 it will be seen that the opening in the hull issurrounded by a casting 26 which is secured to the hull by screws 28 andwhich is provided with an annular portion 30 having its axis alignedwith the propeller shaft l8. Collar 32 surrounds the propeller shaft andis bolted to the annular portion 30 of the casting 26 by bolts 34. Aring 36 is rotatably carried by the collar 32' for rotation about ahorizontal axis 37 and an intermediate member or yoke 38 is rotatablycarried by the ring and mounted for rotation about an axis 40 normal tothe horizontal axis 37 of the ring 36. The yoke 38 carries a second ring42 which is rotatably carried thereby for rotatation about an axis 44normal to the axis 40. A bearing 48 which circumscribes the propellershaft H! has an extended portion 48 which penetrates the ring 42 and ismounted for rotation relative thereto about an axis 50 which is normalto the axis 44. The bearing 46 carries th usual packing rings 52 whichefiect a fluid seal with the propeller shaft l8 and the usuallubrication fittings 54.

The double universal joint structure thus described provides a means forbearing 46 to assume any position assumed by the propeller shaft I 8 asan'incident to vibration or movement thereof relative to the hull. Itshould be noted how-ever, that although the bearing 46 is mounted foruniversal movement that the mounting mechanically prevents rotation ofthe bearing relative to the hull. A rubber hose 56 which circumscribesthe universal joint means and has one end thereof securely fastened tothe bearing 46 by a hose clamp 58 and the other end thereof securelyfastened to the collar 32 by a hose clamp 68 prevents theradmission ofwater to the interior of the hull. The flexibility of the hose 56accommodates the above described universal motion of bearing 46 and thenovel universal mounting means for the bearing 46 assures that torsionalstress will never be imposed on the hose 56 such that the later might beruptured and the boat sunk.

v I claim:

'1. A sealing unit for the propeller shaft of a motor boat having a hullwith an opening through which said shaft extends, said unit including afirst element surrounding said opening and carried by said hull in fluidsealing relationship thereto, a second element surrounding said shaftand carried in fluid sealing relationship thereto,

to means operable to prevent relative rotation bea tween said elementsand a waterproof covering material sealed around said first element andsaid second element and extending therebetween.

2. A sealing unit operable to effect a fluidtight seal around apropeller shaft which penetrates an opening provided therefor in thehull of a motor boat, said unit including an element adapted to surroundsaid opening and to be secured in sealing relationship to said hull, abearing adapted to surround said shaft in fluid sealing relationshipthereto, universal joint means mechanically comiecting said bearing andsaid element and operable to accommodate universal movement of saidbearing relative to said element and to prevent relative rotationbetween said bearing and said element and a flexible watertight covercircumscribing said universal joint means and secured to said elementand said bearing to prevent the admission of water to the interior ofsaid hull.

3. A sealing unit operable to effect a fluidtight seal around apropeller shaft which penetrates an opening provided therefor in thehull of a motor boat, said unit including an element adapted to surroundsaid opening and to be secured in sealing relationship to said hull, abearing having packing material therein and adapted to surround saidshaft in fluid sealing relationship thereto, connecting means associatedwith said element and said bearing and operable tononrotatably butflexibly support said bearing on said hull so as to accommodate auniversal movement of said shaft and a tubular hose connecting saidbearing and said element and circumscribing said shaft to prevent theadmission of water to the interior of said hull.

4. A sealing unit operable to effect a fluidtight seal around apropeller shaft which penetrates an opening provided therefor in thehull of a motor boat, said unit including an element adapted to surroundsaid opening and to be secured in sealing relationship to said hull, abearing having packing material therein and adapted to surround saidshaft in fluid sealing relationship thereto, connecting means associatedwith said element and said bearing and operable to non-rotatably butflexibly support said bearing on said hull so as to accommodate auniversal movement of said shaft, said connecting means including afirst member carried by said element and mounted for rotation about afirst axis, a second member carried by said first member and mounted forrotation about a second axis normal to said first axis, a third membercarried by said second member and mounted for rotation about a thirdaxis normal to said second axis and adapted to support said bearing forrotation about a fourth axis normal to said third axis and a tubularhose connecting said bearing and said element and circumscribing saidshaft to prevent the admission of water to the interior of said hull.

5. A sealing unit operable to effect a fluidtight seal around apropeller shaft which penetrates an opening provided therefor in thehull of a rotatably but flexibly support said bearing on said hull so asto accommodate a universal movement of said shaft, said connecting meansincluding a first ring carried within said collar and mounted forrotation about a first axis, a yoke carried by said first ring andmounted for rotation relative thereto about a second axis normal to saidfirst axis, a second ring carried by said yoke and mounted for rotationabout a third axis normal to said second axis and adapted to supportsaid bearing for rotation about a fourth axis normal to said third axisand a tubular hose connecting said bearing and said element andcircumscribing said shaft to prevent the admission of water to theinterior of said hull.

6. A sealing unit operable to effect a fluidtight seal around apropeller shaft which penetrates an opening provided therefor in thehull of a motor boat, said unit including an element surrounding saidopening and secured in fluid sealing relationship to said hull, abearing circumscribing said shaft in fluid sealing relationship thereto,universal joint means mechanically connecting said bearing and saidelement and comprising a member located intermediate said element andsaid bearing and mechanically connected to said element and said bearingfor pivotal movement relative to said element and said bearing, saiduniversal joint means being operable to accommodate universal movementof said bearing relative to said element and to prevent relativerotation between said bearing and said element while the mechanicalconnection between said element, said member and said bearing preventsboth longitudinal and lateral displacement of said bearing relative tosaid element, and a flexible watertight cover circumscribing saiduniversal joint means and secured to said element and said bearing toprevent the admission of water to the interior of said hull.

7. A sealing unit operable to effect a fluidtight seal around apropeller shaft which penetrates an opening provided therefor in thehull of a motor boat, said unit including an element surrounding saidopening and secured in fluid sealing relationship to said hull, abearing circumscribing said shaft in fluid sealing relationship thereto,an intermediate member mounted on said bearing for rotation about afirst axis and mounted on said element for rotation about a second axisat right angles to the first axis to accommodate universal movement ofsaid bearing relative to said element and to provide a mechanicalconnection between said element and said bearing to prevent longitudinaldisplacement of said bearing relative to said element, and a flexiblewatertight cover circumscribing said universal joint means and securedto said element and said bearing to prevent the admission of water tothe interior of said hull.

ALAN G. LOOFBOURROW.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,196,676 Johnson Apr. 9, 19402,306,664 Scott-Paine Dec. 29, 1942

